The Bloody Battle of Suribachi

This Sterling Publishing reprint of the 1965 title by Richard Wheeler was difficult for me to read. The true story of this man's involvement in the fight to capture Iwo Jima is bloody and relentless. Casualties for one group were 91%. There are many photographs of the battlefield and the dead and wounded. It's all real.

I did appreciate the comment on page 79-- "We all have some of the saveage in us. Happily not too many of us are capable of wanton brutality. Most of us, in fact, keep out brute instincts under control and do our best to steer clear of violence. But we can't help but be fascinated by it. For example: we call outselves peace lovers but make shrines of our battlefields."

This helps in understanding middle school boys' fascination with war. I like being able to give them eyewitness accounts.Maybe it helps them understand who they are or want to be. Since these were written a while ago, they are generally acceptable for middle school students and are not filled with profanity.

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